J. Robert Oppenheimer

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/j-robert-oppenheimer

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was J. Robert Oppenheimer born?April 22, 1904
2. When did J. Robert Oppenheimer die?February 18, 1967 (age 62)
3. Where was J. Robert Oppenheimer born?New York City, USA
4. What was J. Robert Oppenheimer known for?He was a brilliant scientist who helped create the first atomic bomb during the Manhattan Project.
5. Why did Oppenheimer say "Now I am become Death"?He quoted the Bhagavad Gita after the Trinity test, realizing the bomb could destroy many lives.

Quantum Mechanics: A fundamental theory describing the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles.
Manhattan Project: The World War II U.S. government research and development undertaking that produced the first nuclear weapons.
Nuclear Arms Control: Efforts to limit the production, testing, and spread of nuclear weapons.
Security Clearance: An official determination that an individual meets the standards for access to classified national security information.